Equipment

As happy campervanners we felt like we always needed the electric hook-up. We didn’t have a leisure battery and our fridge only ran off 240v mains electricity so without a hook-up we couldn’t power the fridge and were worried that we’d run down the van’s only battery if we left the lights on too long and wouldn’t be able to start the engine in the morning. As happy trailer-tenters we don’t have a fridge (or any battery at all) and we’ve started to realise how much we limit our options if we only camp in locations that have a hook-up available – especially at busy times as the electric pitches are always first to go. Also, some sites charge quite a premium for the hook-up which is disproportionate to the small amount of electricity we consume so we’ve started to look at alternative power sources to broaden our campsite options.

I’ll admit that I like coffee. I might even admit that I can, occasionally, be a coffee snob. I like good coffee. I can’t stand terrible coffee (“instant” doesn’t even count as coffee in my book). When I’m camping, a great cup of coffee in the morning with breakfast can be a nice little luxury.

Over the years I’ve been through several different methods of making my coffee on the campsite, looking for an option that’s portable, easy to use and clean and produces a tasty cup. Here are my thoughts on the various options available…

We spent a fair amount of time in the campervan in 2010, and at the end of the season had got packing down to a fine art. Over the winter, however we took out some of the kit to stop it getting damp and also when the the van went in for major repairs, and so we’ve now got our camping kit spread between the van, the house and the garage. With the camping season about to start and the first camping trips booked, we thought it would be a good idea to try to remember what we needed. Read more…